YOU'VE CHANGED

CHAPTER FIVE 

LIRA 

"Don't let him find out your true identity!" I woke up to a text message the following morning. 

My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the familiar string of numbers. 

I had tried to contact him ever since I got married to Sebastian and was thrown into this cold mansion, but all of my efforts failed. No one answered. 

The only thing I got was a text telling me that he would contact me when he needed me , and now a text message warning me not to let Sebastian find out the truth. 

My hands shook as I picked up the phone and started to dial the number. 

However , no one picked up no matter how hard I tried. 

Panicking , I stood up and started to pace around the room. 

I ran a finger through my unwashed hair in frustration. 

It was greasy, but I didn't have the time to care about that now. 

"What the heck!" I cursed under my breath, as I dialed the number over and over again in a panic. 

Finally, someone answered the call, and I placed it on my ear , shouting out before the person could say anything. 

"Where is my grandmother, damn it! How is she doing?! I want to see her!" I demanded as soon as the call was answered. 

"I said not to call me! I'd only call you when you are needed!" The person on the other end of the phone snapped at me, his voice shaking unevenly. 

I could hear heavy breathing over the phone, and I froze, fear gripping me. 

I had no idea what the situation was like, and I didn't want to endanger myself without getting a clear idea of what I was in. 

"I just want to know how my grandmother is doing. Besides, Sebastian is a smart man. I don't think I'll be able to deceive him for long. How long do you want me to stay here as Sophia? I...." 

"Damn it! I said to wait! I don't want to hear anything about that damned Sebastian! Fuck!" He cursed angrily, and I heard something shatter. 

My hands shook as I gripped the phone tightly, knowing that it was my only connection to my grandmother. 

Despite the violent actions of the person on the phone, I didn't want to end the call yet. 

However, the call ended before I could ask any more questions. 

"Hello, hello?" I screamed into the phone, hoping to get a response. 

But I got none, and when I called in a panic again, the only thing I got was a female mechanical voice telling me that the call was unable to connect. 

The phone had been turned off, damn it! 

Just as I was feeling lost, I got another text message. 

This time, it read, "don't forget your role as Sebastian's wife!" 

The message was short, and I couldn't quite figure out what it meant. What role was I supposed to take on? 

Sebastian's wife; those words reminded me of what I had proposed yesterday. The divorce. Sebastian had refused to acknowledge it, and I wondered if he would consider it. 

I walked out of my bedroom after a while. Usually, breakfast would have been served to me by now, but no one came, and I was starting to get hungry. 

As I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, I found out that the maids who usually hung around doing their work or just gossiping were nowhere to be found. 

Curiosity took over me, as I couldn't help but wonder where they had gone. 

As I entered the kitchen, I saw a woman by the stove, cooking up something. 

It was a middle aged woman, a face that was not familiar to me at all. 

I raised an eyebrow as I studied her. She was focused on her work, and I wondered if she knew of my presence. 

When she didn't regard me after a long time, I thought to myself that she didn't know I was here. 

Walking over to the refrigerator, I pulled it open and took out a can of coke, but a wrinkled pair of hands suddenly snatched it away from me. 

"Food is almost ready, you should eat something instead of drinking unhealthy drinks,madam," her voice was stern, and it reminded me so much of a strict teacher from school. 

I couldn't help but freeze in place as I stared at the face of the middle aged woman. 

Although she called me madam, something about her sharp voice and her sharp gaze made me want to listen. 

"The boss asked me to come here. He wants me to take care of the living expenses from now on, since he's going to be living here," the woman explained to me. 

I nodded my head, as realization dawned on me that Sebastian didn't live here before. 

Panic settled in me following this realization , why would he want to live here? Did he not take my demand for a divorce seriously? 

"Where are the maids?" I asked, trying to avoid the gaze of the woman who seemed to be sizing me up. 

"The boss doesn't like seeing unrelated people whenever he's around. They've all been sent to their rooms," she explained to me, her gaze still carrying a hint of suspicions towards me. 

It made me uncomfortable, as I had no idea why she was looking at me like that. 

"If you need them for something...." She started out, her words sounding like an inquiry. 

I shook my head vehemently before she was done. 

"No, no, I'm fine," I insisted. 

I definitely didn't need maids serving me.

The woman smiled, a genuine smile that left me feeling out of sorts. 

I looked down at the table of food that the woman had dished out and my mouth couldn't help but water. 

It looked delicious, at that moment, my stomach chose to respond to the food and it growled. 

Embarrassment washed all over me, as I struggled to find an explanation for this. 

"I didn't eat much last night so..." I started to explain the embarrassing reaction of my stomach to her food but she laughed, a loud laughter that was homely. 

"I prepared this according to the tastes of the boss, I don't know if you'll like it," she said to me, her gaze encouraging me to dig in. 

I sat at the table and started to eat. After one spoon, I couldn't stop myself, and I soon started to stuff my face. 

I had almost forgotten about the presence of the woman until I heard her voice once again. 

"You've changed, Miss Sophia," she suddenly spoke up, an ominous tone in her voice. 

"What?" I asked, my face going pale at once.